Transfusion guidelines

The British Committee for Standards in Haematology (BCSH) is a sub-committee of the British Society for Haematology (BSH.)

BCSH guidelines

The primary purpose of the BCSH is to provide haematologists with up-to-date advice on the diagnosis and treatment of haematological disease by the production of evidence based guidelines using a well defined BCSH process.

The BCSH website provides access to BCSH guidelines and information on work in progress. In addition there is the facility to register for email alerts whenever individual guidelines reach the final draft stage and also when these guidelines are subsequently published. The BCSH website also provides a page of useful links.

NICE guideline - Anti-D prophylaxis (TA156)

Routine antenatal anti-D prophylaxis is recommended as a treatment option for all pregnant women who are Rh D negative and who are not known to be sensitised.

When a decision has been made to give routine antenatal anti-D prophylaxis, the treatment with the lowest cost should be used. This should take into account the costs of both obtaining and giving the treatment.

Blood Matters

This NHSBT update newsletter Blood Matters was launched nationally as a means of informing all hospital users of all the changes that are taking place within the field of blood transfusion and the impact these changes will have on the NHSBT and its blood supplies and services to hospitals.

Click here to view the Blood Matters Library with issues from 1999 to today. The quarterly issues are listed in date order, please click on the issue you wish to view.

Transfusion handbook

The aim of the Transfusion Handbook is to help the many people involved with Blood Transfusion to make sure that the right blood product is given to the right patient at the right time.

All the following staff groups play an essential part in the Blood Transfusion process: clinical staff when prescribing, laboratory or pharmacy staff involved in supply, porters and transport personnel for the safe transport and delivery of blood, nurses, midwives and ODPs for safe collection and administration in addition to the telephone operators involved in the processing of requisitions.

Many aspects of the practice of blood transfusion have not been rigorously proved by clinical trials so it is impossible to give a completely evidence-based account. The authors and reviewers have therefore tried to use the best available evidence about effective treatment.